Honestly? It depends on your water’s starting point. If your tap is a chemical soup of heavy metals or you live near a farm with runoff, RO is a no-brainer.
If your water is decent but a little hard, you’re probably better off with a standard salt-based softener. Cheaper, less wasteful, and it keeps the healthy minerals.
And if you’re Larry? You’ll probably buy one anyway, install it yourself, and then call me to fix the leak. I’ve already got my wrench ready.
Either way, your taste buds will know the difference. And your kettle won’t look like a chalk mine. Sometimes, that’s enough.